JACKSON – In the days before hired DJs, the Hy-Notes played just about every Polish wedding reception in town, and given Jackson’s Polish population, there were plenty of them.

A longtime staple in the band is sax player Andrew “Randy” Wrozek Jr., who has been with the group for 43 years. Wrozek’s day job is heading the city of Jackson’s treasury department, which he’s been doing for nearly three decades.

The Hy-Notes may not perform as often as they once did, but the group, which also includes Chet Czubko Jr., Randy Elinski, Chris Hedrich, Ric Scheele, John Griffin and Jim Kulas, is still an area favorite.

How did you get started?

I started in the St. Joseph school band in third grade and played the sax. I liked performing at our Christmas concert and the regular band concerts. One summer day, I was playing on my front porch and these guys walked by and saw me playing. They said, ‘We’re the Polish Hy-Notes. Would you like to join our group?’ That was when I was 15. I was part of the first class to go through Lumen Christi in grades nine through 12. I played the clarinet, the tenor sax and the alto sax.

What did you do after high school?

I went to Central Michigan, where I studied business administration. Had I known that I’d end up doing this job for so long, I would have paid closer attention in my accounting and finance classes (laughs). I used to come home every weekend because we had so many gigs. At that time, we were probably playing 70 a year.

Did you come from a musical family?

Not really. I have five sisters and two brothers. Actually, my dad used to really enjoy watching us play and rehearse. He used to come to our rehearsals and bring him harmonica. He bought me a brand-new car when I graduated from high school, so I wouldn’t have to worry about getting back for the shows while I was at college. That didn’t go over too well with my sisters.

Playing a lot of Polish weddings, did you kind of get the same crowd over and over?

Yeah, we’d see a lot of the same families. It was always the most fun when people would get up and dance. There was never any stage fright because there would always be beer, even if we weren’t of age, no one cared. Playing my sisters’ and relatives’ weddings was the best. That’s your family, so they’re going to clap no matter what.

How often do you still play?

Maybe 20 or 30 times a year. I almost gave it up about eight years ago, but a couple of new guys joined the group who were really good musicians, so that kind of rejuvenated me. Our next show is at the St. Joe’s and St. Stan’s all-class reunion on May 12. Last year was the first time they’ve had that, and it was a ton of fun.